The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1887-04-28

sullen cloud-banks menaced elemental
war, and already low.murmuring growls
of thunder revefberated among the SER
rated ridges beneath us.
my ruffianly companion.
I flung out, with some misgivings, the
remainder of the last bag Of sand and
small pebbles, but the Defiance did not
rise with its former buoyancy. Much
gas had been lost. The once smooth sur
face Of the silk, painted in gsudy stripes
of pink and blue, was wrinkled now,
and futtered loosely In irregular fes-
toons. More than once It seemed as
though we must be dashed against some
one Of the towering peaks above which
the balloon slowly revolved.
Crash after crash, peal upon peal, rang
out the deep diapason Of the thunder,
echoed from glen to glen, and from ridge
to ridge, while far and wide the light
ming sent its flaming arrows across
the darkling sky. How strange 1t
was to see beneath us those forked
shafts of dazzling light, to hear from
beneath US those awful rolls of heavens
own terrible artillery, and to float help
lessly above the raging tempestl
Day had broken; the sun was rising,
red and angry in the stormy Eastern
sky, and q current of air waited the bal
loon rapidly forward; could dimly dis
tinguish forest, and meadow, and spurs
Of wood-clothed hills, lying to the south
ward of us. The snowy peaks, osy-pink
in the morning radiance, were being
left behind us.
"Hurrahl as you cay, you other island
ers," cried out the galley-slave trium-
phantly, as he too scanned the landscape.
"Vive la joie! We're well across the
frontier now, and Pierre Paul Grincheux
is as safe as any other Frenchman from
the odious summons to trudge back to
the chain-gang, and the rattan of the
garde-chiourme! Thank your stars, Eng
lishman-"
A stunning peal of thunder cut short
his boastful discourse, and as it did so
the Defiance heeled over, and was driven
like q dead leaf before the gale, by the
sudden rush of mighty wind, that bore
US almost to the surface of the ground,
and hurried us along with headlong
rapidity. Fields, woodlands, houses,
seemed to pass by US with feverish haste,
and still we sped onward, SO near now
to the earth that I momentarily expected
that we should become entangled among
the trees that loomed so near us.
What was that, like river of glanc-
ing water, on the dusty high road be-
meath us, the yellow road like q
ribbon winding amid rocks and
thicketsp Troops on the march, no
doubt, the sunlight glinting on their
bayonets. / could see that as we ap-
preached they came confusedly to a
halt.
Again, hurrah ~ shouted the galley.
slave. "a cheer, noble Spaniards, for
your guest, Pierre Paul, now safely"
As he spoke l saw the earth very near
us, saw the soldiers run to right and left,
as though to clear the way for our pass
the balloon and the car seemed to strike
fire filled my bewildered eyes, and then
all grew dark.
Hell live, this one, never fear" said a
CHEEKY voice speaking in the Spanish Ian.
guage, which l partially understood, as
awoke to find myself lying upon tuckle-
bed in wayside cottage, surrounded by
q group of officers, while regimental
surgeon was feeling my pulse. "Give
him few more drops of the brandy
Only couple of ribs the worse, think
"And-and the man who was with
me ?" asked feebly.
The doctor shook his head.
"Not your father or your brother,
trust, caballero?" he said. "Ah, then,
may tell you that his head was dashed
against the rock, and his neck-a tough
one, by-the-by-very effectually dislo
Gated"
And 80 it was; Risque-son- -cou hat
shared the proverbial fate of the pitcher
that goes too often to the we'll.
Strange to say, my fortune was, to 6
qualified extent, made by the accident
which had so nearly put an end altogether
to my worldly anxieties. The kind pro
tectors who had picked me up, q way
worn stranger, with two ribs broken, by
the roadside, had me conveyed along
with them on a litter to the garrison
town of Girona, whittier they were
bound, and in the military hospital ol
this place / was cared for, until you'll
and o robust constitution enabled me tt
get the better of the fever that ensued
My story was noised abroad, and all Bar
celona seemed eager to sit for its portrait
to the young English artist who hat
visited Spain in so singular a manner
and thence, with good professional rec
concentrations, I passed on to Madrid
Paris and London, and have never since
known the actual pressure of want.
Iafterward heard that q subscription
set ON foot at Marseilles compensated
Mr.. Killick for the loss of his balloon
but he and never met again.
John Bull F1oored.